Odisha Raj Bhavan staffer, who accused Governor’s son of assault, transferred
Officials say transfer to state secretariat based on a request that Baikuntha Pradhan, the complainant, made to the CM
Baikuntha Pradhan (47) was posted as the Assistant Section Officer, Household Section, Governor’s Secretariat, Raj Bhavan. (Express Photo) An Odisha Raj Bhavan staffer, who last week accused Governor Raghubar Das’s son of physical assault, has been transferred to the Home Department.
Baikuntha Pradhan (47) was posted as the Assistant Section Officer, Household Section, Governor’s Secretariat, Raj Bhavan. He alleged last week that Das’s son Lalit Kumar and five others slapped, punched, and kicked him on the night of July 7 on the Raj Bhavan premises in Puri, where he was posted to supervise the preparation for President Droupadi Murmu’s visit. The alleged assault took place because Pradhan did not send two luxury cars to receive Kumar at Puri railway station.
An order issued by the state Home Department on Monday states that “Pradhan, at present deployed to the Governor’ Secretariat, is hereby transferred and posted as such to Home Department against the existing vacancy with immediate effect”.
Official sources said that during a meeting with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday, Pradhan had requested for the transfer.
Sayoj, wife of Raj Bhavan official Baikuntha Pradhan, shows his complaint.
When contacted, his wife Sayoj confirmed that during the meeting with the CM, Pradhan said that he is no longer interested in working in the Raj Bhavan.
“The transfer order may have been issued based on our request. I am not aware of the order,” Sayoj told The Indian Express.
The couple had also met the Governor on Saturday. “We are awaiting justice. Since the Governor has sought time from us to take action and ensure justice, we will wait for some days. If no action is taken against the culprits, we will pursue our case again,” Sayoj told The Indian Express.
Pradhan, an ex-serviceman, lodged a police complaint on July 11. A day earlier, he had submitted a written complaint to the Governor’s principal secretary.
The Odisha Secretariat Service Association meanwhile urged the state government to no longer deploy Odisha Secretariat Service (OSS) cadre, to which Pradhan belongs, at the Governor’s secretariat in Raj Bhavan.
“The incident… is unfortunate and agonising for the employee fraternity as a whole,” said the association in a memorandum submitted to the Odisha Home Secretary on Monday.
“The working environment in the Governor’s Secretariat is not good for OSS cadre employees. We are requesting you to cancel the deployment of all OSS cadre employees in the Governor’s Secretariat and to revert them to the State Secretariat until permanent posts, as required, are created for the same purpose by discussing with this Association,” reads the memorandum.
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